Isaiah Joe started 36 games across four seasons and 296 appearances with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City undoubtedly revitalized his NBA career, but its refusal to make him a starter has created a reasonable question mark about how he'd fit into a contender's lineup. Thankfully, the Detroit Pistons have the perfect excuse to play with fire.
Though the Thunder's reluctance to start Joe was validated by his struggles as an isolation defender, Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson's strengths and weaknesses offer the perfect excuse to focus on Joe's strengths instead.
According to Basketball Index, Joe finished the 2025-26 season ranked in the 28th percentile in perimeter isolation defense. He wasn't much better in 2024-25, when he finished in the 37th percentile in the same area.
Those are proper reflections of how the 6'4" and 165-pound Joe has struggled to stop his opponent with ideal consistency when challenged as an isolation defender.
For as alarming as that may be, Joe actually ranks among the best off-ball defenders in the NBA. He ranked in the 94th percentile in off-ball chaser defense in 2024-25 and the 98th percentile in 2025-26, per Basketball Index, and the film reflects his efficacy and effort.
If Joe can continue to defend at that remarkable level in off-ball situations in 2026-27 with the Pistons, then Cunningham and Thompson can both benefit from his presence and mask his flaws.
Detroit is the perfect team to highlight Isaiah Joe's strengths, mask flaws
Thompson is the most obvious helping hand as a 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year finalist. He's among the most dominant defensive forces in the NBA, shutting opponents down in isolation and making plays as a help defender and off-ball chaser with elite proficiency.
Oklahoma City clearly wasn't short on great defenders themselves, but Thompson's athleticism and activity are difficult for even All-Defense honorees to emulate.
The key here, however, is not just Thompson, but Cunningham. The All-NBA honoree may be known or his offense, but he's also an excellent isolation defender. In 2025-26, he ranked in the 84th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 97th percentile in ball screen navigation.
The area in which Cunningham wasn't quite as remarkable was off-ball chaser defense, in which he ranked in the 52nd percentile.
Isaiah Joe is the off-ball defender Cade Cunningham needs at SG
Though not necessarily a weakness, it makes sense that Cunningham was less effective chasing opponents around the court. His offensive workload borders on unrivaled, with the Pistons superstar ranking No. 1 on the team in scoring and assists by comfortable margins of +4.4 and +6.0.
Thankfully, Joe can help Cunningham conserve energy with his specialty as an off-ball chaser while simultaneously providing the shooting Detroit desperately needs.
Detroit was No. 28 in three-point field goals made this past season. Cunningham was one of just two Pistons who made more than 1.3 threes per game. Joe, meanwhile, averaged 2.6 conversions per game and 4.3 per 36 minutes over the past two seasons—on 41.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc, no less.
Joe will have competition for the starting role, but Cunningham and Thompson are the perfect duo to mask his flaws and accentuate his strengths in 2026-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google